The official website dedicated to those that had served aboard the destroyer USS Dahlgren DLG-12 & DDG-43.

Dahlgren Shipmates,

We are all interested in carrying on the Dahlgren tradition by having another great US fighting ship named for Admiral John Adolphus Dahlgren, our namesake and the father of modern Naval Weaponry.
To improve the chances that this will occur in the next few years, we need each of you to complete (including your signature) the petition and submit by hard copy to Joe Coventree, or scanned and e-mailed to Joe.
Please take this action to honor our proud ship by giving her a replacement to carry on the Dahlgren name.

The Dahlgren Association officers appreciate your contribution to this effort to continue the Dahlgren tradition at sea.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support at our most recent reunion. It is truly an honor and privilege to represent the Dahlgren as the USS Dahlgren Association President.

Our recent reunion in Erie, PA was well attended, but I know we can do better. Hats off to Mr. and Mrs. Joe Coventree (BM3, 64-66) who hosted this event. They spent a lot of time and money to make our gathering successful. My bride, Cheryl, and I pledge to come to EVERY reunion, regardless of location – it means that much to us.

If I need to state my agenda as President, that’s pretty easy – increase our membership! Accomplishing this task will be a completely different story. I am asking each of you to reach deep into your mind and come up with NAMES – guys that you haven’t spoken to or thought of in years – so we can bring them back onboard Dahlgren! Sadly, some of our guys are no longer with us, but their spirits remain. They can be recognized on our website as well as on Hull Number.com.

Worth noting as well – unless we act together, the USS Dahlgren Association cannot continue forever – we will run out of shipmates as our ship no longer exists. Therefore, I urge you (If you have not already done so) to sign a petition to the Secretary of the Navy requesting that a new ship be christened bearing Admiral Dahlgren’s name (see website for petition). That would certainly be a tribute to the father of modern naval warfare.

For those of you non-members coming to this website for the first time, please reach out to us and join the Association. You joined once, and this time it will probably be less painful. Our perspective of things certainly has changed through the years and our service time is no exception. Come celebrate with us what was, arguably, an important and pivotal time or our lives.

In closing, I would again like to thank you for your support and generosity. It means the world to me. As we continue to sail on the ship of life, I wish well to all of you and your families. Thank you for your service. See you in Savannah April 30 – May 4, 2014. Sincerely, Ray Jablow, President, USS Dahlgren Association.

Note: Various publications including some U.S. Navy publications refer to this class as the Coontz Class.
The U.S. Navy has traditionally referred to a class by the name of the lowest hull numbered ship in the class.
Therefore, the proper name should be the Farragut Class.

The first three ships (Farragut, Luce, and Macdonough) were ordered in 1956 as DL-6 through DL-8 to an all-gun design.
The second three ships (Coontz, King, and Mahan) were ordered at the same time as DLG-1 through DLG-3 to gun and missile design.

During construction the decision was made to build all six to the gun and missile (Coontz) design.
But although they were all built to the Coontz design, the lowest hull numbered ship of the class was Farragut.
We, therefore, refer to them all as the Farragut Class as we feel this is consistent with Navy tradition.

In November 1956, before construction had begun on any of them, the designation of all six ships was changed to DLG.
Length overall: 512’ 6"
Length between perpendiculars: 490’ 0"
Extreme Beam: 52’ 4"
Limiting draft: 19’ 0"